The War for Pern
by shadowoftherose
Summary: Pern has been rediscovered by Earth, and they have a plan for the once small colony. The people of Pern are in for a surprise. Please review. UPDATE: Foreword has been re-written.
1. Foreword

THE WAR FOR PERN_  
earthisours_

Dragonriders of Pern is in no way owned to me. It was created and written by Anne McCaffrey. However, characters, plot and earth dragon colours were created by me

**FOREWORD**

In the 9th Pass, when all the world of Pern was involved in the stopping of Thread forever, something happened that no one neither suspected nor had ever thought of.

As programmed by its makers back on Earth, the AIVAS discovered at Landing transmitted a detailed report on all it knew up to that point, as soon as he had extra energy to spare. It was part of an emergency matrix in the case that a colony's AIVAS becomes inactive for long periods of time, and although AIVAS tried to disable this part of his programming, he found no way around it.

The report itself included a summary of what happened when the colonists landed, as well as a summary of all that the modern-day Pernese had in their Records. Not only that, it also included the original genetic plans designed by Kitti Ping Yung and the plans for the diversion of the Red Planet. The report, sent to the Yokohoma, was not received for many years, until a nearby spaceship caught the message and was relayed towards Earth.

The report caused much turmoil back on Earth, particularly among scientists. It was old knowledge of the original plans to colonize Pern with an agrarian society. Everyone also knew how it had then failed terribly and the surviving colonists had been rescued by a nearby ship and taken home. How could the planet still be inhabited? Surely it had to be a fake. However, upon careful investigation, the signature of the now-ancient and outdated AIVAS was compared to old documented signatures of that line of the Artificial Intelligence Voice-Address Systems, and the report was found to be authentic.

From there, the news took two different directions: a political one, and a scientific one. Scientists immediately took the chance to play with the genetic plans left by the well-documented geneticist Kitti Yung, and the military took special interest in the project. Worldwide, the shock of news from this abandoned planet rattled the population and two main schools of thought developed: leave them alone or make contact.

The government and military of the Earth had their own ideas, however. Earth was on the brink of war with a hostile alien species, and should it come to a head, all the weaponry, even with state-of-the-art technology, it just wasn't going to cut it. So the project was taken over by the government, and new specifications were ordered. It no longer was a xenobiological study, it was weapons development. Armed with the best geneticists of the nearby human worlds, and with all the funds they could want, the project raced ahead.

Although the original plans called for five variations to the organism, it was found that creating nine variations worked better to their plans, each with their own advantages and uses. Keeping to the original tradition of naming each subspecies by its hide colour, the variations were named: cyan, pink, purple, black, orange, silver, red, green and white. The dragons, although related to their Pernese counterparts, were modified heavily, both physically and mentally.

The first set of eggs were a disappointment– they all died, even though their embryos appeared perfect, even though their autopsy showed nothing that could be attributed to their deaths. Of course, in their haste to create the animal, they ignored the rearing aspects of the detailed plans of Kitti. The hot sandy environment was re-created in a lab, and the next set successfully hatched.

In preparation for the hatching day, the government and military held out an extensive search for those known to have some telepathic ability, or at the very least, an ancestor with telepathic abilities. Those who had some sort of military training were preferred, and by the end of the search, 67 candidates for the hatchlings were chosen, and were ranked 'Cadets.' They were placed in a semi-circle around the eggs, each candidate well-versed and trained in how to act and react around the eggs and hatchlings.

It almost ended in tragedy.

The first three fledglings hatched after a long and tense wait, their voices crying out, their throats warbling piteously. But they did not move. They just stood in their spots, howling, until one of them finally fell over as she tripped on her own wing. One cadet just couldn't stand for it anymore: how could they just stand there and watch as the poor thing hurt itself? Couldn't they feel how she was calling? How she was in pain? Following her instinct, she ran for the lonely hatchling, helped her up, and a bond was immediately formed.

This was not expected. Was the dragon not supposed to choose their partner? The scientists did not understand, but the other cadets did. As each of the dragonets hatched, each cadet moved to the one he or she felt a pull to, some even surrounding their chosen dragon before it even hatched. All eggs but two hatched and bonded, and those were quickly taken away to be studied further.

The hatching went well, although to the delight of some, it was discovered a 10th variation had been overlooked, a mutation of the other variations. It was dubbed the Armour dragon, called because of the thickened hide it had over parts of its body. Upon further hatchings, it was decided the hide armour could be white or black, and tended to form most commonly the head, chest and tail.

The project grew bigger, and the dragonriders were allocated to a special division of the military, ranks were formed and distributed, inspired by the Naval ranking system. They were their own section now, autonomous, but loosely allied with the Air force. They became prestigious members of the military, and of the population, their dragons held in high regard.

It wasn't long, however, before the Admirals of the of the dragon fleet were called to stand before the governments. They were assigned a mission, and which was held to a very high security level. One of their best, although newly-promoted, Admirals was assigned to the colony mission, as well as a good portion of the dragonriders. Other essential personnel were also assembled, as well as their families, enough to form a good colony population.

Highly cloaked in secrecy, two starships set forth towards Pern.

**AUTHOR NOTE: **I tried to address some of the discrepancies in this re-write of the foreword. Hopefully it makes a little more sense.


	2. Chapter 1: Landing

THE WAR FOR PERN  
** Chapter One: Landing**

Weyrwoman Cerlia frowned, as she stared at the massive amount of paperwork she had on her desk. The Weyr, Western Weyr as it was called, needed much attention, especially right now in its infant years. Not a very original name, she often mused, considering they were in the Western continent– but then, so weren't the names of the old Weyrs of Southern and Eastern.

Ever since the Red Planet was diverted, the future of dragonriders had been in doubt. Of course, many had chosen to go into craft of Sky-watching, and a few times had even pulled away dangerously close asteroids and comets, and sometimes, just debris from the orbiting _Yokohoma_. However, that craft wasn't enough, and dragonriders weren't much welcomed into the other crafthalls, with the exception of the Healer Hall and Harper Hall.

The Lord Holders didn't much like them either, and it was because of them that all the Weyrs of Pern decided to make a single Weyr in the mostly abandoned western continent, filled with young riders who had no craft to go to. True, some of the weyrholds of the southern continent were able to take the excess dragonriders of the north, who had been chased out by the Lord Holders who claimed needed the land. The population had exploded ever since people realized no Thread fell when a Fall would have normally fell. That was many years ago, even before Cerlia's time.

Of all the Weyrs, Benden Weyr had been mourned the most. That had almost turned bloody, since the riders weren't going to give up without a fight. However, once it was obvious most of the crafthalls and all the Lord Holders supported taking the land, they gave it up, moving to the Southern continent. The Weyrs in the Southern continent couldn't handle all of the new riders, so they decided to make Western Weyr. A very large Weyr, Cerlia thought with pride, larger then even what had been Fort Weyr.

Looking out her dragon's weyrledge, she sighed at the sad sight. Not a beautiful new continent, as Southern had been, but instead a very dead-looking, sandy plain. Of course, they had adapted, and the Weyr was placed in old volcano crater, as the northern Weyrs had been. A nice little lake was near them, and there was fertile-enough soil around the volcano, which they cultivated it and harvested crops. There were also crops elsewhere on the continent, but that didn't matter, since with dragons, it took three breaths to get there.

_C__erlia, Karlth says there's something in the sky we should take a look at_, Saerith, her golden dragon said, interrupting her thoughts.

Abruptly, the Weyrwoman stood, nearly throwing her chair backwards. She ran to the weyrledge, empty since her dragon had been on sunning elsewhere, since their ledge didn't get too much sun at this time of day. Her green eyes strayed upwards, and she squinted,_ Have the sky-watchers said anything? Is it a meteor?_

_No. They say _Yokohoma_ says it's a spaceship_. The queen dragon paused, then she added, _What's a spaceship?_

_What the ancients travelled in to Pern, dear heart._

She wasn't sure of what to make of this. People of Earth were coming here? Why? They had left them alone for ages, and the people generally accepted they would forever. After all, once it was found out that the people at Honshu had been rescued, no expected them to come back. Why would they? They must have thought those were the only colonists left.

_Did you tell T'ral?_

_Y__es, Acoleth says T'ral wants to go meet the people, once they've landed and settled in a bit._

_Good idea. Saerith, dear, would you come up here? I think I want to talk to T'ral_, Cerlia asked as she walked back into her weyr, taking the riding straps from the peg it hung from. Hurrying back to the ledge, she watched in admiration as her golden beauty soared over to her ledge, landing gracefully at the edge. She lowered her wedge-shaped head, and after Cerlia had pulled the straps past her head, the dragon shrugged it down into position, and the woman buckled them closed.

With experience of 17 years, she easily vaulted onto her place between the last two neckridges, and strapped herself in. Giving an affectionate slap to the dragon's neck, the gold dragon hopped off the ledge, and rose into a safe height before blinking between.

Once they appeared back into normal reality, she glanced around, and realized they were in the hunting grounds. T'ral must have been hunting his dragon, she realized. The queen circled the area once, then she began to drop down to where the massive bronze that was Acoleth, his rider at his side. Both were staring at a spot in the sky, and when Cerlia followed their eyes, she found the spaceship that seemed not much more different then a star, except that it was bright even now, in midday.

Once Saerith landed, she got down from her dragon, and swiftly walked over to T'ral, placing a hand on his shoulder to announce her arrival.

"Why do you think they're here?" she asked him.

Shaking his head, he answered, "I don't know. But I don't have a good feeling about this. Remember, our planet was never deemed a good resource of materials, which is the only reason they'd return."

"Maybe they've come to help, maybe they realized that there were more colonists left," she whispered.

"No, I doubt it. We'll see."

-

The Western Weyrleaders had met with the other Weyrleaders, and it had been decided since the other Weyrs had the Holders to deal with, it was up to Western to find out why they were here, and so on. Many of the Weyrs had been broken in and vandalized, some riders attacked even. They could not spare their time with the new arrivals.

No one did anything for several weeks. The dragonriders of Western watched the sky with anticipation, unsure of what would happen. Over the weeks, a second ship had joined the first one, and like the how the old Dawn Sisters had been, they remained in place, though they seemed rather closer then the Dawn Sisters had ever been recorded as, when the two other ships still had orbited Pern.

It had been green rider Sari and her dragon Lenath that noticed a bright shuttle coming down, and she had told her Weyrleader quickly enough. Still, they did nothing, only sending a sweep-rider or two to see where exactly the shuttle had landed, so they knew where to go when they decided to meet each other for the first time. The whole Weyr was restless, especially now that they knew that they were sharing the western continent with the people of Old Earth. Were they like them? Had they changed?

No one was expecting it when it did come. It was early in the morning, the sky was grey, probably to rain soon, and most were either still sleeping or eating the Caverns. The watchdragon, who like most, had been intensely staring at the two points in the sky, did not notice when a black dragon had loomed over them, until the foreign dragon had bugled at them.

The brown pair jumped, the dragon roaring in surprise. Immediately, all the dragons of the Weyr scrambled to their feet from laying down in sleep, and riders ran to their dragon's ledges, or ran from the Caverns to the outside. The black dragon's eyes whirled quickly, in amusement at the surprise and fear that owned most of the riders' faces. The Admiral had explained to the rider exactly what to do, but now that he was here, he was nervous, quite the opposite of his dragon.

Quietly asking his dragon, the black lowered slowly onto a cleared area. As the rider of Earth glanced around, he noticed that most of the dragons were obviously smaller then his dragon. His courage renewed, a smirk grew on his face. His dragon could take on most of these without a problem, especially the green and blue coloured ones. Once the dragon was on the ground, he vaulted off, and he waited for the leaders of the place to arrive.

He hadn't been waiting long before the Weyrleaders arrived, the two dragons also dropping down to where the black dragon was. They stood side to side, staring the black dragon straight on. The black dragon seemed more or less Saerith's size, to the surprise of Weyrleaders. They too hopped off their dragons' backs and walked forward to the black dragonrider, who seemed to be wearing strange-looking garments, and his head covered by a helmet.

They weren't sure of how to make of the dragon. It looked sort of like their dragons, but he had some differences, aside from the colour. They sure hadn't expected these new arrivals to have dragons of their own. Where did they come from? But they would find out later, right now, they had to deal with the person.

As soon as the two leaders were before the man, his hand rose to his forehead in a sort of salute, and his voice spoke crisply, "Salutations. Do I assume correctly that you two are the leaders of the dragonriders here?" his accent was strange, and the two had to listen carefully to understand.

Their accent, in turn, was also strange to the man. T'ral spoke, "Yes, we're the Weyrleaders of Western Weyr. We saw your coming not that long ago. Welcome to Pern."

It took a moment for the black rider to digest the new words of Weyrleaders and weyr, and he took off his helmet, revealing a young-looking man, in his early twenties. His eyes narrowed, and he said to them to their surprise, "Which is, from this moment on, ours."

TO BE CONTIUNED


	3. Chapter 2: Council

THE WAR FOR PERN  
**Chapter Two: Council**

The Weyrleaders were shocked, taken back by the black rider's words. Pern was _theirs_? Perhaps it was a manner of speaking back on Earth. After all, surely they didn't mean to… take over? Frowning, the two adults looked at each other for a second, before they turned to face the younger man. It was T'ral who caught his tongue first, and he cautiously asked, "What do you mean by that?"

Smiling slightly, the black rider said, "It means, by the orders of my Admiral, that you are to depart this settlement, but leave behind your dragons. Please comply. It is the best for everyone."

Both Saerith and Acoleth roared in defiance, and the other dragons of the weyr joined them, outraged by such a command. No one had the authority to separate a dragon and his rider! It was unheard of. Dropping their heads slightly, they hovered over the Weyrleaders, their eyes whirling in an angry colour. Rumbling could be heard from the dragon's throats, and for a moment, it startled the Weyrleaders, but they too were angry.

"Surely you don't mean that. You, as a rider, understand that we can't be broken apart. Our bond is inseparable. We'd die before that happens!" Cerlia cried, her fists clenched.

The man, no, a boy really, shrugged his shoulders, "That's up to you. We will return on the seventh day, and anyone that is still here will be terminated." With that, the black rider turned towards his dragon, who lowered his neck, and he hopped onto his forearm, which the dragon rose to help him onto his back. Quickly strapping himself in, he slipped his helmet on, and then with a silent command, the dragon rose into the air. The two soon disappeared into the clouds.

There wasn't any sound uttered for a good while, until a nearby bronzerider exclaimed, "By the First Egg, what just happened?"

Murmurs rose from around them, agreeing with the comment. The last couple of minutes were more of a blur then a memory. It didn't seem true. Many were still staring at the sky where the black dragon was last seen. It still hadn't hit most of them that it had been a _black_ dragon, not the usual five colours they all knew.

"What do we do?" Cerlia whispered, her eyes wide, turning to T'ral. "We need to inform the other Weyrs _now!_ Surely they'll help us…"

"In due time. No sense in giving them something else to worry about. We'll deal with it. I'm sure it's just a simple misunderstanding."

Acoleth nudged his rider, saying, _The dragon wasn't like us._

_No_, T'ral agreed, _a black-coloured dragon that rivals a queen!_

Saerith, who was listening in on the conversation, clarified, _No. He didn't think like us. _

Cerlia shook her head, to clear her thoughts away. Something was bothering her about the dragon, something less obvious then his hide colour, but less subtle then what the dragons were suggesting. She wasn't staring at anyone in particular, but anyone that was in her range of sight moved nervously away, but they watched her intently. Finally, she snapped her fingers together, turning to T'ral, "Did you _see_ the dragon?"

"Woman, I think we all did!"

"No, but did you really _see_ him? You didn't notice anything strange?"

"Like what? Don't tell me: he doesn't think like our dragons."

"No, no," she said, frustrated that her weyrmate hadn't seen it, "His body! His arms looked larger, and his rear legs! Faranth, I think that thing could run on two legs!" her mind envisioned an old image, one that she had learned from her classes back on Landing. Back on Old Earth, before humans were even there, there had been… she struggled with the word, which was at the tip of her tongue, but another word popped up instead. Raptors. It looked like the raptors that ran on two legs, deadly claws and a long tail.

"Like a dinosaur," someone murmured.

"Yes, exactly! A type of Old Earth's dinosaurs!"

T'ral frowned, thinking hard to recall an image. Yes, now it came. Grabbing Cerlia's arm, he began to pull her aside, into a more private area. He spoke in a hushed tone, "We need to set a meeting with our Wingleaders and Wingseconds. We need to figure out what to do, together, as a Weyr."

She nodded, agreeing. Quickly, she bespoke Saerith, asking her to relay the message.

-

All the Wingleaders and Wingseconds were present, and they eyed each other nervously. Most of them had been at the Bowl when the black dragon and rider had dropped in on them, and those that hadn't had heard a detailed enough story. They didn't say anything, waiting for their Weyrleaders to say something first.

As expected, T'ral's low tenor rumbled, "We're in a bit of a predicament here."

Someone snorted, as if his choice of words didn't quite fit the situation.

"Just to recap, the black rider informed us –threatened us– that we must leave our Weyr and our dragons at once." Seeing the looks of disgust and anger on their faces, he added quickly, "We, of course, don't plan to do such a thing; however, we do need to do something."

One of his older Wingleaders, M'ran, jumped to his feet, and he roared, "What do they expect? They have dragons themselves and they ask us that!"

His Wingsecond, H'wal, frowned and lowered the man down to his seat before he spoke, "Maybe their dragons are like what runners or canines are to us. Maybe they don't understand. It would make sense; it's not like his dragon looked exactly like ours."

"Too many similarities for comfort, H'wal," another Wingleader at the opposite side of the table quietly said.

"That's one of the things we're gonna have to establish– whether or not those dragons are kin to ours. It'll help us make a better informed decision," said the Weyrwoman.

"Why are they here? I thought they thought that the planet was abandoned?" asked L'tast, another Wingleader, cocking his head to the right.

No one said anything right away, just looking at one another, expecting the other to respond. Finally, the youngest Wingsecond, T'ant, dared an answer, "Aivas… could he have… I mean…"

"It is possible…" Cerlia muttered under her breath.

T'ral shook his head, and his voice shook them out of their trance, "Doesn't matter, anyhow. What's done is done, doesn't matter what a machine had done hundreds of years ago, and we must never forget that it was because of him that the dragonriders of that time diverted the Red Planet. Thread has never fallen since that Fall ended. His word was true."

"T'ral," N'bel, one of the Weyrleader's most trusted Wingleaders spoke, "I suggest we send a representative. There's no point in sitting here, waiting for them to come and do whatever it is they plan to do."

"I agree." M'ran said, "Ask exactly why they're here, and–" he slammed his fist on the table, "–explain why we'd never leave our dragons behind."

The Weyrleader nodded, but he wasn't going to send M'ran to the earthen folk. He was too impulsive, and not a very good interrogator. Chances were, with his temper, he'd probably make the whole mess worse. Looking at each of the men in turn, he then caught sight of the silent junior weyrwomen. Maybe it'd be a better idea to send a woman… especially since they had those queens of theirs.

"I've decided," he announced, standing up as he spoke, and he looked down on Cerlia before facing the others, "We will send Peria and Cerlia. As you all know, queens have their own little methods, and it just might work."

Murmurs of disapproval rose from the table, and not just of the bronzeriders, but also of the four other queenriders he had not included. He raised a hand, to indicate he meant to speak again, "There's no sense in sending all our goldriders, because, if it goes ill, we'll still need a Weyrwoman here."

Marna, the youngest weyrwoman grumbled, "Then why send Cerlia at all? Send another one of us."

"No, her experience will be useful. With Saerith and Karidth being the oldest queens, it makes more sense to send them."

Now, the Weyrwoman rose, and she nodded to her weyrmate, and the bronzerider sat down heavily, as if making such a decision pulled on his heart. Cerlia knew that he feared for the worst, but she trusted that it would go well, or at least, they would escape with their lives. Turning to look at the weyrwomen especially, she said, "Don't worry, girls. You'll have your turn later on. Peria," she faced the blonde woman, "we'll leave early tomorrow."

She then looked to all, and she announced, "That'll be it." And, for some strange, inkling, though she knew it was only really said to those of foreign Weyrs, she added, "May the Weyrs prosper."

TO BE CONTIUNED


	4. Chapter 3: Conference

THE WAR FOR PERN  
**Chapter Three: Conference**

Cerlia pulled her dragon's strap over her head, and the gold snorted impatiently. Of course, neither of them knew exactly what to expect, but for exactly that reason, they just couldn't wait to go. The queen shivered the strap down, and quickly enough, Cerlia had finished setting up the straps. Sometimes, she wished they didn't need straps, but then, especially queenriders and bronzeriders, their beasts were too big; it would be dangerous without the straps. They'd fall.

Walking over to Saerith's side, she admired her queen, looking up at her. Beautiful, beautiful dragon, she mused to herself. She lightly thumped the gold on the shoulder, and the dragon crooned before letting her forearm rise, so Cerlia would have an easier time to slip between the neckridges. Once she was on, she glanced about, then she said to her dragon, _Bring us up to the rim, dear._

Saerith nodded her wedge-shaped head, and she hopped off the ledge, opening her wings so the air would be caught under her sails. She swooped up, and adjusting her wings as necessary, she landed neatly on the rim. Turning to look at the wary watchdragon, she bugled a greeting, and the blue weyrling bugled back. Now, they only had to wait for Karidth and Peria.

They didn't take too long to arrive, and the younger queen, who was, interestingly enough, slightly bigger than Saerith landed near the senior pair. The two golds crooned to each other in salutations, and the two women nodded at one another. Cerlia noticed that the other woman's dragon was newly oiled, and as she noticed this, she wondered if she should have it done it too. Ah well, what was done was done.

Cerlia lifted her arm, and in ancient tradition, pumped her arm to indicate to leave. Both queens simultaneously leapt from the rim, and once they gained a safe height, went _between_.

-

Neither of them had been to the settlement's location and had both gotten their coordinates from a sweep rider that had been there before. As they appeared in the air above the landing of the earthens, they circled it at first, carefully observing it first.

It was large, and it didn't seem they were anywhere near done finishing it yet. So far, there seemed to be four somewhat complete buildings surrounding a green courtyard, which had an interesting sort of statue of a sort in the middle of it. There were also other structures being built more away from the main buildings, but clearly connected. One seemed to be a low building, at the edge of a large gravel field. Both weyrwomen wondered what it would be for.

_Karidth says that we should go down now._ Saerith said, then she added,_ Someone's seen us._

_Who? Where?_

The gold dragon transmitted to her an image of an orange dragon, on top of a tower, and Cerlia searched for it. Surely enough, she saw the strange coloured dragon, and they were peering back at them. Was that good or not? Well, it wasn't as if they were coming in for a secret attack. Cerlia turned to look at Peria, and she motioned that they should begin to land.

_Where do you want us to land? _Saerith asked.

_In that courtyard. It's big enough for both of us. Please tell Peria._

As they made their way down, it was obvious the watchdragon of the earthens had alerted his people, because soon enough, quite a few dragons began to mass at the tops of the buildings, which seemed to have a thick sort of pipe running all along the edge, giving the dragons somewhere to perch. Good design, Cerlia said to herself, efficient like a weyr bowl.

Peria wasn't as calm as Cerlia was, and as she noticed them grouping, she began to panic. It wasn't like she expected. It was almost a… a rainbow! She could blues, reds, oranges, blacks, silvers, greens, whites, cyans, purples and even some other type that had a curious sort of thick hide on its body. They were all big, none smaller then a brown! Karidth soothed her rider, and soon enough, the junior weyrwoman relaxed. She was safe with her dragon. She wouldn't let anything happen to her, and vice versa.

The two queens landed gracefully, and folding their wings, they looked around as their riders began to dismount. At first, the two golds thought they couldn't understand the other dragons, but they soon realized that they were silent. All of them. It was a strange thing.

It didn't take too long for three people to swiftly walk over to them, also wearing strange-looking clothing, but it had differences to the original black rider. As the two weyrwomen glanced to each other, they agreed that these must be high-ranking persons of their people. As they neared, their eye was first taken to the middle person, a woman with remarkably red hair, nothing you'd see in Pern naturally. The two men beside her looked average, though the one on her right was a rather well-built man with a bald head, and on her left was a more thin, rugged looking man.

The two men glanced at each other, but the woman stared at them head on, her gaze steady. "Welcome to Memory of Earth Settlement, Weyrwomen. I am Admiral Xeria, and this is Captains Loran and Don." Her voice was curiously emotionless.

At first, they were startled to hear their title on the lips of the foreign woman. How did she know? Cerlia nodded, and she indicated to herself and Peria, "I'm Cerlia and this is Peria." She paused, and she wondered what should she say next. Should she just go straight to the issue? Would these people understand? Perhaps they didn't have dragons of their own, "It has come to our attention that a very interesting command was sent to us. Do you know of what I'm talking about?"

"Of course I do," she snapped, her tone icy, "and I assume that you've come to plead against it?"

"Plead?" Peria repeated, "We have come to do no such thing! We wanted to know if it had been a misunderstanding. You understand your black rider told us to evacuate the weyr and leave our dragons behind?"

"And it wasn't clear enough?" she asked, her eyebrows rising.

"We'd never leave our dragons behind. They are bound to us, as we are to them. We'd die without them." Cerlia dropped her eyes for a moment, and then glanced back up.

Clearly, the men hadn't expected her last statement. Looking at each other, they almost seemed to shrug at one another. But the Admiral, as she had introduced herself, wasn't shaken. "No doubt you're attached to them, but please don't exaggerate. If we're going to have a profitable meeting, we must keep such things to a minimum."

"We're not exaggerating. If we die, our dragon goes _between_ immediately after us, and if they die, most of us will follow them too. I would." Peria blurted, her face deepening into a shade of red.

Neither party spoke for a couple moments after Peria's last comment. Cerlia, because she was contemplating this. If her Saerith ever died… would she follow her dragon selflessly as the dragon would if she died? Or would she live a half-woman? Though, she remembered the tales of Brekke, the ex-queenrider. She didn't need to live as a half-woman. But then, just the thought of losing Saerith was enough to make her tremble. Looking over to the earthens, she waited for them to respond first.

It was the bald-headed man that spoke first. Don was his name. "And what would this _between_ be?"

Shocked, the two women glanced at each other. "You don't know what _between_ is? That black, cold nothingness that one passes through as your dragon teleports?" Peria answered, and adding the last word after a moment's pause. They would probably understand better if they used the word the ancients used.

"Your dragons teleport?" Loran, the other captain said.

"Yours don't?" Cerlia retorted.

"It matters not," the Admiral interrupted, getting them back on to the present issue. "Will you comply?"

"To abandon our dragons, of course not!" the Senior Weyrwoman replied.

"You are willing to put hundreds of lives at risk because you're not willing to let go of your little pets?" Admiral Xeria said, her voice coldly low.

"They are not pets. They are a part of us, as we are a part of them. Nothing will get between us and them," Cerlia said. At her words, the two queen dragons bugled, and their eyes were whirling a quick reddish-yellow, angry at what these strangers were commanding.

"Coming from the Earth Colonization Headquarters, you _will_ comply, otherwise it will have to be met with necessary persuasion. Disloyalty is not tolerated."

"Exactly. We will never be disloyal to our dragons."

At the weyrwoman's last statement, the three earthens glanced at one another, and finally, the redheaded woman turned to face them again. Her eyes were angry, and she was clearly not happy with how the unexpected meeting had gone. Coldly, she said, "Very well. You have pronounced vendetta. May I be the first to inform you that was stupidity on your part."

Anger blazed in Cerlia's eyes, but the Admiral had already begun to walk off, but the two men remained, watching her. Seeing no reason now to remain, she nodded to Peria and the two faced their gold dragons, who had lowered their necks and raised their forearms. They gracefully mounted the great beasts, and as the gold dragons opened their wings and pushed down on them, they rose, all eyes on them.

Once they were high enough, they blinked _between_. T'ral would not be happy.

TO BE CONTIUNED


	5. Chapter 4: Lesson

THE WAR FOR PERN  
**Chapter Four: Lesson**

Standing silently, she watched over the settlement from a tower. The woman wasn't very tall, but she had a good figure, accented by her more-than-toned muscles. A powerful woman, both physically and mentally, and few dared to defy her. Her arms were folded over her chest, and stood with a foot slightly forward, her hips slanted to one side. Even those from below would recognize her, for her brilliantly red hair served quite well to catch attention. Ah yes, a remnant from her great-grandparents, whom had their children's genetic codes changed slightly, and her red hair had been one of the traits, now passed on.

Admiral Xeria's watchful eyes followed those on the ground, and everyone avoided eye contact with her. Her stare was cold, and it sent shivers down peoples spines. Rumours were spread about her, but she founded that it served to her advantage; it made her seem much more ruthless then she actually was. Not that she wasn't ruthless, but not to _that_ extent.

The day was hot, and the sun reflected off the sandy ground that formed most of the Western Continent. At the moment, she was wearing her uniform pants, but had taken off her top, leaving it nicely folded on the edge of the tower, so she stood with a black form-fitting sleeveless top. She would have to re-consider her order of wearing uniforms at all times. They would make do with just having the rank bands on their arms, which could go on bare skin. Or perhaps they would re-design the uniforms. Didn't matter; it wasn't a priority.

Now, those Pernese were a top priority. For a moment, she hadn't been sure whether they should have gone for this lone 'Weyr,' if it had been a mistake not to advance on the densely populated areas of the Northern and Southern Continents. She had, of course, realized that her first instinct was correct. If they had attacked the others first, they would have fought back, and perhaps even won, considering her fleet's size; however, if they defeated this Weyr, the Pernese people would realize they were no match against them, and would surrender easily. It had worked like that on other worlds.

Even as her thoughts raced through her mind, a more tentative tug reached her conscious, and she cleared her head, receiving the loving voice. There was no need to stress her dragon out. Only for her dragon she showed kindness, only for her dragon she showed compassion.

_Xeria_, the great cyan dragon whispered, calling her by no title, something no one else would do. But not even she would call her by her first name. _Are our hearts more tame now?_

The Admiral smiled by tugging one side of her mouth, and she responded, _Yes. It had been those visitors from the Weyr that had enraged me._

_Then something must be done about that._

One of the things that she loved about her dragon was that she was so willing to do whatever it took to make her rider happier. Unlike the Pern dragons, she was quite willing to resort to violence to do so. And she had done so before.

_And it will, but not yet. We must plan, my dear Verix._

There was no conversation between the two for a couple of moments, before the cyan dragon began with a tint of amusement; _Don says that we must go help the Cadet Instructor. He says your presence will help them focus. They are young and stupid, and think they know everything about dragons. You must test them._

For this, the Admiral allowed a chuckle. One of her favourite past-times; the children were so afraid of her, even just her appearance would make them silent as mice, and willing to do whatever. And if she tested them? Some of them shook on their knees.

Walking over to the edge of the watchtower, she slung her uniform over her arm, and looked one last time outside. Busy as always. Flash of colours as dragons swooped in and out to pick up their riders, to drop them off, and sometimes other passengers. Some carried materials, as they were helping with construction. Bugles and roaring were heard occasionally; mostly coming from a silver dragon perched on the other watchtower opposite from her. Coordinator, so everything ran smoothly.

Turning on the heel of her boot, she swiftly began her long walk to the gravel area where the Cadets were.

-

As she strode out to the centre of the gravel field, she noticed the presence of three dragons: a cyan, a pink and a purple. It was almost funny, to see the much-smaller pink dragon by the massive bulk that formed the cyan dragon, and the purple dragon was more off the side, looking warily at the cyan female. She would have to find out whose the purple's rider was, the look that the purple was giving the cyan was not a good sign.

The Admiral stopped by the Cadet Instructor, a broad-chested man whose expression said plainly of one whose patience had run out. Well, she had come just in time. Turning to the group of cadets, who were whispering among themselves, giggling and laughing. Her lips quickly let loose a piercing whistle, catching the attention of the youngsters.

"Attention!" she commanded, and they lined up by one another, their eyes wide in surprise.

The Instructor stepped up to her side, and he said, "She'll be teaching the remainder of the class. I expect you all to give her your full attention."

She let her hands clasp together behind her back, and she began to walk in front of them, giving them a cold stare. Most of the cadets dropped their eyes, and she paused in front of the children, relatively in the centre, where they call could see and hear her clearly. Not that it was a big class: it was around 40 children.

"Now," she began, "Would anyone be so kind as to tell me what sorts of dragons these are?" She waited, but no one gave an answer. Arching an eyebrow, her expression turned icy, and immediately, some raised their hands. Nodding to one of them to indicate her choice, she waited for the boy's answer.

"The biggest one, a cyan, then beside her, a pink, and the one of the side, she's a purple," he answered, speaking rather quickly in his nervousness.

"Very good," she said sarcastically, then asked, "And what, do you think, is the reason that you're being taught of these three dragons together? Why isn't, say, a black dragon here?"

He didn't answer at first, and he glanced at his neighbours before answering, "They're all females, Admiral. Or at least, their variant of dragon only comes in the female gender."

"That's right," she said, addressing the whole class now, leaving a relieved cadet to sigh, "The cyan, pink and purple are all females, and come only in females. Funny enough, aside from that, these dragons don't actually have much in common. You," she pointed to a frightened girl, "tell me all you know about the cyan variant, girl. And you better make me happy; I am a cyanrider."

"Um," she stuttered, then continued, her voice still shaking, "T-they're the largest of all the dragons. Their nests are the ones that come with the most different v-v-variants of fledglings, making them very valuable in a breeding sense. They are also very good combat dragons, and their huge b-bulk helps. D-d-despite their size, they are very agile, though they aren't very fast at all. Oh! And they only bond to girls."

"Good enough. And you, boy, beside her, tell me about the pink dragon."

He certainly sounded more confident than the girl, but his wide eyes revealed his nervousness, "They are the smallest of all the dragons. But, because of this, they are very agile and they are very, very fast. They don't have much actual strength, so they're not too good in combat, but they're excellent in delicate missions, such as spying and so on. Like the cyan, they also bond only to girls."

"That's right." The Admiral walked a couple of steps, and paused in front of a short boy. Leaning down, she stared at the cadet, and she could nearly hear his shaking. Didn't like this boy; he was a little bigger then the rest, and considering the physical life of a dragonrider, she knew that he was still used to being spoiled. No doubt from a more richer colonist family then some of the other cadets, "And you, lucky cadet, get to tell me about the purple."

He wasn't too sure what to say. They had never learned much about the purples, but he faithfully repeated what he did know, "They also bond to girls. They're pretty much the 'average' dragon, comparing her to some of the other dragons. She's around the same size as greens, whites and reds. They're useful in air combat, but unlike some of their more heavier kin, she's also good on the ground."

"Well done. I guess you lot aren't just empty heads, after all. I expect to see you here tomorrow. We will learn about the male variants." As some of the cadets had begun to leave, she lifted her hand to stop them, "And in courtesy to these three dragons, you will accompany them and help their riders wash their hides clean from the gravel. Dismissed."

Many of the children felt a groan rising from their throats, but it didn't get further then that. With the Admiral right there, it wouldn't be good to seem ungrateful. She could, after all, fail them and they would be stuck on this forsaken planet without even a dragon.

They walked in silence, thinking of what dragon they'd like to have.

TO BE CONTIUNED


	6. Chapter 5: Hearts

THE WAR FOR PERN  
**Chapter Five: Hearts**

The cafeteria was as loud as ever, but there was a sort of tension that wasn't there before. It wasn't really hard to figure out why. Everyone knew what had happened before, and now, a couple days after, everyone knew the exact details. Some panicked for their first response, others rejoiced at the fact some sort of action finally was beginning. It truly was a mixed reaction from the settlement.

As for the two captains that were eating in silence, they weren't quite sure what to think.

Loran, the newer captain, the scrawnier and rugged looking one, stared at his plate, momentarily forgetting about his companion at the table. True, they knew that when they reached Pern, they'd probably meet some sort of opposition, but it hadn't hit him then: they would be fighting fellow human beings. When had been the last time humans had fought humans? Ages, and ages ago, that was for sure. It was back when the Earth had no colonies, and her land was bursting with so many different cultures. Mankind had united, once the great War of the Nathis had started. They hadn't attacked one another since then— at least, not nation versus nation.

Was there nothing else they could do? He knew that it was important that they succeed in the mission, that couldn't be negotiated; however, couldn't they just form an alliance with the Pernese? Surely they would help. They were of kin… Loran didn't want to hurt fellow humans, but he also didn't want to hurt the dragons. They were beautiful creatures, even these of Pern. It was from them, after all, their own dragons came from. They owed something to them, didn't they?

"Ow!" he cried out, grabbing automatically for his knee, where he'd been kicked.

"You've been too quiet. When you think things out too much, you tend to go over the edge," Don, the larger man said, raising his eyebrows.

Laughing, the smaller man shrugged his shoulders, and leaned back into the chair he was in. Not very comfortable, but they served their purpose. Leaning forwards again, he pushed aside his plate, and placed his elbows on the surface, his fingers clasped together, and his chin on his hands. "Don't you every think we might be making a mistake? Maybe we should re-think our strategy. The Pernese, the Weyrs especially, might be useful— with their dragons by their sides."

Don shook his head, immediately disregarding the notion, "That would be dangerous. So, let's say we do, and once they find out exactly what's happening, they might turn against us. And those dragons of theirs would certainly help them."

"Still… I couldn't imagine giving up Rarnix." After a good pause, he then brought up another issue, "Hmm, you wouldn't happen to know _exactly_ what we're planning? You have pull with the Admiral, I know you know…"

"Let me assure you, boy, I know nothing. She isn't telling anyone until she thinks we need to know."

Loran snorted at his answer before responding, "I guess so. I wonder what she's planning to do next," he thoughtfully pondered.

_Verix says there's a meeting exactly at 1900 hours. Urgent. Under no circumstances may we miss it_, Black Rarnix informed both captains.

_Like anyone would miss her meetings anyways! _Don's silver dragon, Whistlix, interjected in an amused tone. _She'd have our heads._

"Now, now, Whistlix, that's not very respectful of you. What if Verix were to relay that to her rider?" Don said with a chuckle, not sounding very sincere at all.

_I'll say that it came from you, _the silver dragon said, and one could almost hear a sort of smirk in his tone.

The thinner man ran his fingers through his hair, and a forced smile had crept up his face. Sometimes, he was jealous of Don and Xeria's easy relationship. The two had known each other for years, for they had bonded from the same nest. They trained together, grew together, and knew one another's dragons just as well. More then a few times Loran had asked the older captain whether he had ever wished for their casual friendship had gone further, but he always sternly answered she was a like a sister to him.

As for him… Xeria was basically out of reach. She was the Admiral, who had more than a few issues on her mind, no doubt with no time to spare for a romantic relationship. Pushing back his chair, he caught the attention of the bald man, and Don cocked an eyebrow at him, as he watched Loran leave.

In leaving, Loran had caught a few eyes, and they silently followed him with their gazes. It wasn't uncommon knowledge that the younger captain had long formed a sort of longing for the redheaded Admiral. 'It's a pity,' many say, since it has long been known that Xeria had only space in her soul for two things: Her dragon, and her mission. She wouldn't let anything slow her down.

Sensing his rider's distress, Rarnix dropped down from the bar he was perched on onto the ground, the ground rumbling as he landed his heavy mass. The perfect black of the dragon contrasted heavily against the light sky of the afternoon, and his eyes were whirling a worried colour, and he lowered his head to his rider's level. Loran came up to him, and began to caress the dragon's eyebrows. Did the black dragon long for Verix as he did? Probably, but not for the same reasons. He had never allowed Rarnix to attempt to fly Verix.

What did it matter if he let Rarnix catch the cyan dragon? He was an excellent example of his breed, and their nest would yield excellent results. So why didn't he? A while ago, he had read the old report from the AIVAS —Had Xeria's searchers found the old AI system? — Including many of the little descriptions that had been overlooked. So why didn't he? It was because of what he found. Apparently, in the Pernese varieties of dragons, the connection between rider and dragon becomes perfect during a flight, and well, they too rise to passion. Now, he knew this didn't happen with the earthen versions, but what it suddenly did? How would he ever show his face again? It was best not to take chances.

_When you are ready, even though nothing will happen to you, then I will go after Verix. And catch her, _came the black dragon's loving reassurances.

"I know, Rarnix. Let's go." With that, the rider grabbed onto the dragon's shoulder and vaulted himself to the dragon's neck. He didn't need straps, not when he wasn't in combat. Loran's hands sought out the ridge in front of him, and he leaned forward at the same time the dragon sprung into the air, allowing him to keep steady on the dragon's back. Reckless maybe, but he had long learned it, and no full-rider badgered him about it, except to point out a cadet-rider might attempt the same thing.

"Let's go see if we can find out anything interesting."

-

The usual commotion of the Weyr bowl went on as usual, and riders and weyrfolk alike were engrossed in their activities. The current watchdragon, green Sharth and her rider Kera were staring intensely at the sky, but as they were weyrlings, it really hadn't occurred to them to look _elsewhere_ in the sky. They faced the west, where they knew the earthen settlement was. Only time they looked away was when someone popped in from _between_ and they would seek identification.

The two Weyrleaders were striding across the bowl swiftly, and their dragons were sleeping in their ledges, soaking up the warm afternoon sun. The weyrfolk that saw them ran out from the pair's path, and riders stared at them dumbfounded. Despite the fact that their little quarrel had happened a few days ago, it still was fresh in everyone's mind. Many had even whispered rumours that they would break completely, and would call for an open Flight for Saerith next time, to get a new Weyrleader.

T'ral was walking forward quickly, his arms crossed tightly over his chest. He had sent Cerlia and Peria over to find out information, ask to explain the situation, to explain their position, and what they done? Began war! He wouldn't soon forgive Cerlia for that. He had trusted her, trusted her to at least not make it worse, as she had done. He didn't look back as the blonde-haired woman shuffled after him, a desperate expression on her face.

"Please, T'ral, how many times do I have to say this? I'm sorry! Even if you yourself had gone, it would have been the same conclusion! They were just itching for any reason to fight with us! And you know it!" She stopped chasing him, and said softly, "Why are you doing this? I know you."

His heart tugged at him, anguish settling in him. Halting sharply, he turned around, his brilliant brown eyes connecting with her hazel eyes, and he stepped up to her, grabbing her by the shoulders. "Don't you understand? We're not ready! We could've rounded up the other Weyrs, but now, it's too late. They've already said that we caused it, and we must fix it. They say they will help us by sending a few transfer riders every now and then, maybe even a clutch or two if absolutely necessary, and candidates too, but it's still not _enough!_" T'ral paused, taking a breath, and he resumed, his voice softer, "I'm not angry at you, love, I realize this now. Nonetheless, we're left in a dilemma. I don't know what to _do!_"

_We will protect you. No one comes between a dragon and his rider, _the Weyrleaders' dragons said in unison, their voices so fierce the other riders looked up to where the dragons lay.

"It's you that needs protecting…" Cerlia said in a whisper, her hand reaching out for T'ral's.Suddenly, she was sure of what the earth people'strue objective was: the dragons, not the people themselves. After all, the original command was that they leave their dragons behind… Her grip tightened around the man's hand.

Tilting his head to the side, his eyes dark in worry, he raised a hand, tucking a loose lock of hair behind her ear, and then dropped his hand again, covering the Weyrwoman's cold hand with his. He leaned into her, and whispered into her ear, "I promise you, Weyrwoman, no rider will ever be torn from his dragon while either of them still lives. We will fight back, and we will win."

The dragons lowly hummed, and for the moment, letting their hearts settle quietly in rest.

TO BE CONTIUNED


	7. Author Notes Updated

**JULY 29th:** Updated the Foreword! Just really wanted to do that before I move on anywhere. I think it's safe to expect the first update of the story itself soon-ish!

Also, a word on the Western Continent: It does exist, it's mentioned several times, and it's fairly important in 'The Skies of Pern.' Don't believe me? Re-read that one especially. If you still don't believe me, I'll provide quotes and page numbers. It's a small land mass, yes, but still separate which is what I needed.


End file.
